Combination leg and back rest



June 3, m1; c. H. ARCHER 2,244,440

COMBINATION LEG AND BACK REST Filed March 21, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 3, 1941.

c. H. ARCHER COMBINATION LEG AND BACK REST Filed March 21, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 3, 1941 UNETED STATES PATENT GFFICE COMBINATION LEG AND BACK REST Capelle H. Archer, Richmond, Va.

Application March 21, 1940, Serial No. 325,246

6 Claims.

This invention relates to leg rests and particularly to a leg rest which may be used in a multiplicity of positions and which may also be used as a back rest for supporting a person in a sitting posture in bed.

An object of the invention is to provide a combination leg and back rest of simple, sturdy construction which will be free of moving parts and which when used as a leg rest will automatically adjust itself to the proper position to suit the various positions of the user.

Another object is to provide a leg rest which will adapt itself to support the Weight of the legs in the most comfortable position and which will take all weight off the feet of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a leg rest adapted to support the legs of a person sitting in a rocking chair and which will rock about a pivot or bearing member to automatically assume the correct angle to support the legs of the user comfortably in the various positions assumed when rocking.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination leg and back rest which when used as a back rest in a bed will not slide away from the user under the weight of the body when leaning back against the rest.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a combined leg and back rest embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof illustrating two positions of use,

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the device,

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail view of the pivot or bearing member, and

Fig, 8 is a side elevation illustrating use of the invention as a back rest on a bed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it indicates a pair of upright rear legs and II a pair of front legs disposed at the corners of a rectangular base for the rest, the front legs H being much shorter than the rear legs ID. A cross rail 22 extends between the front legs II and a cross rail l3 extends between the upper ends of the rear legs l0. Side rails l4 extend between the legs 10 and H at the opposite sides of the base.

The cross rails 12 and I3 serve to space the legs l0 and. H and also support the ends of a central longitudinal bridge rail l5 which supports the central portion of an upper fabric cover or support l6, of suitable stout material, which extends between side rails l1 forming a bodymember support slanting downwardly from the upper ends of the rear legs. The side rails ll extend between and are secured at opposite ends to the upper ends of the front and rear legs H1 and Ii at opposite sides of the base. The side edges of the fabric cover are preferably turned over the side rails l! and are secured thereto by suitable fastening means such as the tacks I8. At the rear edge, the fabric cover It is turned over the upper edge of the rear cross rail l3 and is secured thereto, as by tacks l9.

As will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 3, the upper edge of the rear cross rail [3 follows the line of a concave curve from the center toward each end thereof so that the fabric cover defines a trough on each side of the bridge rail l5, each trough being adapted to cradle a leg of the user of the leg rest. A leather or other suitable wear-resisting strip 20 protects the fabric l6 from wear due to contact by the heels of shoes of users of the rest. Strips of upholsterers webbing I'd underlying the fabric 16 take the strain off of the same.

A foot rest 2| is mounted between the rear legs I0 approximately midway of the height thereof, being carried by brackets 22 secured to the inner face of an intermediate cross rail 22' extending between the rear legs ill. The foot rest 2i is mounted at a comfortable angle to support the feet of a person seated in a chair facing the rest and. projects at its lower end a short distance beyond the line of the rear face of the legs for a purpose to be discussed hereinafter.

The lower ends of the legs H] are secured to a bottom cross bar 24 which functions as a bearing or rocking bar when the leg rest is in use. In the. example illustrated, the rocking bar 24 has a fiat top and the lower ends of the legs l0 rest on the top of the bar adjacent the ends thereof. The under side of the bar 24 in the embodiment illustrated is formed to provide a plurality of flat longitudinally extending surfaces or faces 25, 26 and 27, as seen more clearly in Fig. '7, which surfaces are at a slight angle with respect to each other. Each of the Surfaces 25, 26 and 21 has a number of pads or feet 28 mounted thereon, the pads in adjacent rows being disposed in staggered relation.

The pads or feet 28 are made of anti-friction material, preferably rubber, and form an antislipping rocking unit which will afford a firm support for the rest when tilted to the position of use as a leg rest, as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2. The bar 24 could be made with a curved under surface but the provision of the faces 25, 26 and 21 facilitates proper alinement of the pads 28 in each row which makes it much easier to replace the same if they eventually become worn or knocked off during use. If the under surface of the bar 24 is of uniform curvature, the same may be provided with a continuous anti-slipping covering, although I prefer to use separated anti-slipping members, such as pads 28.

The construction as described results in a rigid unit which when standing alone presents a slanting upper surface l6 disposed at an acute angle to the plane of the rear or taller legs I and so dimensioned that when the unit is tilted back, with the bar 24 as a pivot, to a position in which the surface becomes a substantially horizontal platform, the weight of the unit will be balanced on the bar 24. Thus when the unit is tilted to this position and the legs of a person, seated facing the rear or high end of the unit, are laid on the top Hi, there will be no tendency for the unit to return to its standing position but it will readily tilt about the bar 24 so that the platform top It assumes exactly the right angle to comfortably support the legs of the user.

While the invention is not restricted to the exact dimensions of the respective parts, the best results from the standpoint of balance of the device when employed as a leg rest are secured if the legs l0 and upper surface l6 are so dimensioned and arranged at such an angle to each other that when the device is tilted on the pivot bar 24 to occupy a position in which the platform approaches the horizontal, the Weight of the unit will be balanced upon said bar. Due to the balanced condition of the rest, no efiort is required to retain it in balanced position when the weight of the legs are placed on the top l6 so that all of the leg muscles can be completely relaxed.

When the device is used as a bed rest, as shown in Fig. 8, it is turned on end with the legs l0 resting lengthwise on the mattress 30 in back of the user,with the top l6 facing the back of the user. In this position, the top l6 provides a supporting surface at the correct angle to the plane of the mattress to comfortably support the user in a sitting posture. With the rest so disposed, the projecting portion 23 of the footboard 2| and the rear edge of the bar 24 press into the mattress, as indicated at 3| and 32, thus preventing the rest from sliding away from the user when he leans back on the same.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood that Various modifications in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a rest of the character described, spaced upright front and rear leg members, a body member support comprising spaced side rail members rigidly connected at the ends thereof to the upper ends of said front and rear leg members and a cover member extending between and secured to said side rails, said support extending downwardly from the upper ends of said rear legs at a sharp angle thereto, and a rocking bearing member secured to the lower ends of said rear leg members, the relative dimensions of and the angular relation between said legs and said support being such that when said rest is tilted about said bearing member to dispose said support in substantially horizontal position, substantially the entire weight of the rest will be balanced on said bearing member.

2. In a rest of the character described, a rigid frame comprising upright front leg members,

, upright rear leg members longer than said front leg members, inclined side rails extending between the upper ends of the front and rear leg members, a fabric support extending across and secured to said side rails, a laterally extending bearing bar extending between and secured to the lower ends of said rear leg members, and a plurality of friction pads on the under surface of said bearing bar providing a rocking surface for said rest, the relative dimensions of and the angular relation between said rear leg members and said fabric support being such that when the rest is tilted about said bearing member to dispose said fabric support in substantially horizontal position, substantially the entire weight of the rest will be balanced on said bearing bar.

3. In a rest of the character described, a rigid frame comprising upright front and rear leg members, inclined side rails extending between the front and rear leg members, a fabric support extending between and secured to the inclined side rails, and a laterally extending bearing bar secured to the lower ends of the rear leg members, the relative dimensions and angular relation of said inclined side rails and said rear legs being such that when said rest is tilted rearwardly on said bearing bar to dispose said rails in a substantially horizontal position, the weight of said rest will be balanced on said bearing bar.

4. In a leg rest of the character described, a rigid frame comprising upright front leg members, upright rear leg members in spaced relation to and longer than said front leg members, parallel inclined side rails extending between and secured to the upper ends of said front and rear leg members, a cross rail between said front leg members, a cross rail between the upper ends of said rearleg members, an inclined center rail extending between and supported by said cross rails parallel with said inclined side rails, a fabric support extending across and secured to said inclined side and center rails to provide a leg support between said center rail and each of said side rails, a laterally extending bearing bar extending between and secured to the lower ends of said rear leg members, said bearing bar providing a rocking supporting surface for said rest.

'5. In a leg rest of the character described, a rigid frame comprising upright front leg members, upright rear leg members in spaced relation to and longer than said front leg members, parallel inclined side rails extending between and secured to the upper ends of said front and rear leg members, a cross rail between said front leg members, a cross rail between the upper ends of said rear leg members, an inclined center rail extending between and supported by said cross rails parallel with said inclined side rails, a fabric support extending across and secured to said inclined side and center rails to provide a leg support between said center rail and each of said side rails, a laterally extending bearing bar extending between and secured to the lower ends of said rear leg members, said bearing bar providing a rocking supporting surface for said rest, the relative dimensions and angular relation of said inclined side and center rails and said rear legs being such that when said rest is tilted rearwardly on'said bearing bar to dispose said rails and said leg supports in a substantially horizontal position, the weight of said rest will be balanced on said bearing bar.

6. In a rest of the character described, a rigid frame comprising upright front and rear leg 1 members, inclined side rails extending between the front and rear leg members, a fabric support extending between and secured to the inclined side rails, a laterally extending bearing bar secured to the lower ends of the rear leg members, and a foot rest comprising an inclined footboard supported between said rear leg members intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof, said footboard having one edge projecting beyond the plane of the rear of said legs, whereby said projecting edge of said footboard will press into a resilient supporting surface of a bed or the like when said rest is positioned for use as a back rest with said rear legs extending parallel to and lying on said resilient supporting surface.

CAPELLE H. ARCHER. 

